I have a good friend who is an excellent acupuncturist. I am thinking of having my dog receive it as well..?

Question

My dog is 13 years of age. Over the past year, his hip pain has obviously worsened. I give him a prescribed (from my vet) pain killer - which helps a little. He recently had blood tests - and he was found to be healthy for his age. 1. Is $50 a session for my dog a good deal? 2. Can acupuncture improve my dog's arthritis issues? Please, serious, informed answers only. Thanks everyone.

Answer 1

I have never witnessed this, but I know people that have had accupuncture done on their dog and swear by it. Also, $50 bucks a session sounds reasonable to me. Most specialty treatments like that run about similar costs.

Answer 2

I worked for a vet a few years ago that practiced acupuncture, and at first i thought he was nuts! But the longer I worked there, the more i saw dogs improve with their arthritis issues. The hardest part is keeping them still enough to perform it. We charged about 65$ each time depending on the size of the dog.. so if you can afford it, go for it! Our patients came in about once every 2 weeks.

Answer 3

I had very positive results with veterinary acupuncture. My dog was 15 years old and suffered from rear leg problems(neurological). When the veterinarian came she had my dog lay down on his side. She inserted numerous needles on many parts of my dog's body. Then she lit some moxa punk and put it close to each needle. During this whole procedure my dog relaxed and then went to sleep, even snored.
He was much more relaxed and seemed to be relieved of alot of the pain I know he had after these visits. He acted more puppy-like for a couple of weeks after. Well worth the money!

Answer 4

The vet I work for is certified in animal acupuncture. She charges about $50.00 a session. The acupuncturist needs to be trained in animal anatomy. And yes, I have seen it work very well, but results will vary by individual. It doesn't hurt to try!

Answer 5

There are veterinarians certified in acupuncture, $50 seems a reasonable price. Ask about training and credentials. If there's a veterinary university in your area, that would be a good place to start looking. Acupuncture seems to help people, so I see no reason it wouldn't work for a dog. You can find massage therapists too, and a soak in warm water helps them just as it helps us.

Answer 6

A co-worker of mine had acupunture done with her dog. She was very impressed with how much it helped him in his last years. It is a growing treatment for dogs.
I have a question...not meaning to insult... Are you considering your friend doing it, or a vet? It should be done by a vet. Your friend is likely not trained in dog anatomy, and also in dog restraint. These are two very important things. Many dogs may not cooperate for such a procedure, and improper restraint could be harmful to both the dog and the person doing the procedure.
I hope acupuncture helps. I only know of one vet in my area that does it, and she is doing alot of business right now.

Answer 7

I took my 13 year old cocker spaniel to a veterinary acupuncturist for bronchitis. She not only fixed the bronchitis, but really relieved the arthritis and improved his hypothyroidism. But there's a catch. She simultaneously had him on traditional Chinese herbal medicine and I think that was what really helped. Also, the points are different on dogs, so the acupuncturist needs to have veterinary training.

-MM

Answer 8

A lot of people say that it does. I have never used it, and I can tell you that the vets where I work frown on it. But if it works, then it works. Some vets are doing it now, but it is more common in urban areas rather than rural.